1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balance practicing machine used to practice balancing the body and to provide exercise for the user.
2. Description of Related Art
It is generally known that the act of riding a horse must be practiced in order to learn balance, prevent falling, and to exercise the muscles of the back which will prevent lower back pain. However, locations where horses can be ridden are limited. A machine has been disclosed which provides the same type of movement encountered when riding a horse, thus making it possible to practice balancing without the restrictions of location and weather associated with actual horseback riding.
The type of balance practicing machine of the related art is equipped with a seat in the form of a saddle on which the user sits, and a drive mechanism that imparts a swinging motion to the seat. As a result of the drive mechanism conveying a swinging motion to a seat straddled by the user, the user is able to practice balancing while obtaining the benefits of increased strength of the lower back and thigh muscles and more flexible hip joints. Japanese Laid Open Patent 2001-286578 discloses an example of a related art balance practicing machine in which the drive mechanism that conveys a swinging motion to a seat is provided within a pedestal and can, for example, include a motor as the power source and a motion conversion device that converts the rotation of the motor to the swinging motions conveyed to the seat. The drive mechanism is connected to a control panel and controlled therefrom. The drive mechanism imparts three degrees of freedom of movement of the seat in the form of a longitudinal or forward reciprocating linear motion and reciprocating pivoting motions around the longitudinal (fore and aft) and transverse axes.
In the related art, due to the seat of the balance practicing machine being of fixed dimensions, there are cases where the size of the seat does not comfortably accommodate the body type of the person sitting on it. Also, the drive mechanism imparts only a swinging motion to the seat during use which, in itself, cannot provide effective balancing practice, does not sufficiently strengthen the lower back or thigh muscles, and does not adequately create more flexibility in the hip joints.